Philippe Clement confirms Rangers will play friendly game during warm-weather training camp
Rangers boss Philippe Clement has revealed his side will travel to La Manga in Spain for a week-long warm-weather training camp during the winter break in January.
It was also confirmed that Rangers will play a behind-closed-doors friendly while there, ahead of their friendly clash with Copenhagen at Ibrox on 16 December.
Clement told of his intentions to speak with his players individually as he continues getting to know them both on and off the pitch, which he sees as an important part of the training camp.
“Everything is arranged,” Clement told the Daily Record [5 December], “We’re going to La Manga for one week. We’ll play a closed-door game there and are planning to play a friendly game here on the way back.
“I’m learning to get to know my players better and better. That’s going to be a very important thing when we go on training camp in January, where I always take time to do individual talks with players.
“It’s going to be hard work in training and in the evenings, the staff come together with the players individually to really get to know them.”
An opportunity to build stronger ties
The warm-weather training camp will not only get the players out of the freezing temperatures of winter in Glasgow and into a more welcoming environment for training, but it will also give the manager more time as he continues to build strong connections with his players.
One benefit of a warm-weather training camp is the different impact on the body and muscles, as well as the opportunity to up the intensity and avoid injuries, but as Clement shared, the time away together as a squad will prove vital.
The two friendly games will also provide Clement with an opportunity to experiment with different players and options, as well as tactics, to figure out how his players respond to what is being asked of them.
Aside from the extra rest over the winter period, the winter break every year provides the players and the boss with a chance to reset and go again in the second half of the season and may prove vital as they look to challenge for silverware again.
In other Rangers news, Clement has shared there will be talks over a permanent deal for one key man.